Taliban government

The Taliban are unleashing a legal onslaught to implement their vision for the country – for men, by men, and of men.

The terror attacks on September 11, 2001, seemingly changed the trajectory of Afghanistan’s history. But today, the country in many ways is back to the status quo ante – except for the thousands of lives lost to war. 

Two days before the 9/11 attacks, Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated in Afghanistan. His legacy is woven with threads of both reverence and controversy.

With the new virtue and vice law, the Taliban are on track to take the country back to the norms of their late 1990s rule.

The ultimate fate of the 46 Afghan aircraft that fled the country and landed in Uzbekistan as the Republic collapsed in 2021 isn’t surprising, but the Taliban remain steadfast in opposition. 

Iodice stood by the girls and women of Afghanistan when nearly everyone else had left, a commitment that deeply resonated with many in the war-torn nation.

Despite tension, the underlying mutual dependencies between Iran and the Taliban, and the evolving geopolitics in the region, have forced the two sides to avoid crossing red lines.   

Amid a recent visit by Uzbekistan’s prime ministers, the two sides signed $2.5 billion in trade and investment deals.

The U.S. and the global community have repeatedly failed to recognize that engaging with the Taliban alone will not bear fruitful results.

For some, Taliban rule means a life in hiding. For others, it brought a long-awaited homecoming. Still others are just hoping for a lasting peace.

Three years after the Taliban's return to power, Afghanistan seems condemned to a bleak future – but inside the country, girls still dream of better times.

Zahra Joya and Shanthie D’Souza unpack the Taliban regime, its suppression of women and minorities, and the wider consequences of its rule on global terror and geopolitics.